12 Rules Every Pittsburgh Driver Should Know

Company is coming, and a lot of out-of-town drivers don't know how to zipper merge. But let's be honest, some of yinz don't either! Driving down steep hills and navigating tight streets can be a challenge, and people have been complaining about our city's layout for decades. In the 1930s, renowned journalist Erine Pyle wrote, "Pittsburgh is the cockeyedest city in the United States. Physically it is absolutely irrational. It must have been laid out by a mountain goat.” Before tens of thousands of visitors descend on our city, we're revisiting our conversation with friend of the pod and former Uber driver Jakob Lazzaro. Together, we're talking about why the streets are like this, share some very important rules for navigating our narrow, hilly streets, and – of course – debate the efficacy of the Pittsburgh Left.

**This episode originally aired September 4, 2024.

Notes and references from today’s show:

Topography and annexation shaped mismatched Pittsburgh streets [WESA]
Drivers, you're not alone. Pittsburgh really does have frustrating and short on-ramps [WESA]
Choose a color and buckle up: Allegheny County's belt system is low tech, but navigable [WESA]
Rainbow Connections [City Paper]
U.T.B.A.P.H. [99% Invisible]

Learn more about the sponsors of this Wednesday, April 15th episode:

Allegheny County Poll Workers

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